Peter Sellers
Acting
Born: September 8, 1925 · Southsea, Hampshire, England, UK
Died: July 24, 1980 (aged 54)
Highest Rated
Biography
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE (September 8, 1925 – July 24, 1980), known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, for playing three different characters in Dr. Strangelove, as Clare Quilty in Lolita, and as the man-child and TV-addicted Chance the gardener in his penultimate film, Being There. Leading actress Bette Davis once remarked of him, "He isn't an actor—he's a chameleon." Sellers rose to fame on the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show. His ability to speak in different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, German, as well as British regional accents), along with his talent to portray a range of characters to comic effect, contributed to his success as a radio personality and screen actor and earned him national and international nominations and awards. Many of his characters became ingrained in public perception of his work. Sellers' private life was characterized by turmoil and crises, and included emotional problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times, and had three children from the first two marriages. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played, but he left his own portrait since, "he obsessively filmed his homes, his family, people he knew, anything that took his fancy right to the end of his life—intimate film that remained undiscovered until long after his death in 1980." The director Peter Hall has said: "Peter had the ability to identify completely with another person, and think his way physically, mentally and emotionally into their skin. Where does that come from? I have no idea. Is it a curse? Often. I think it's not enough though in this business to have talent. You have to have talent to handle the talent. And that I think Peter did not have."
Known for
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
1964
Lolita
1962
The Pink Panther
1963
Being There
1979
Murder by Death
1976
The Party
1968
Casino Royale
1967
Koyaanisqatsi
1983
The Return of the Pink Panther
1975
A Shot in the Dark
1964
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
1976
The Ladykillers
1955
Photos (8)
Movies (80)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove
Lolita
Clare Quilty
The Pink Panther
Insp. Jacques Clouseau
Casino Royale
Evelyn Tremble
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Chief Inspector Clouseau
Trail of the Pink Panther
Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau (archive footage)
Murder by Death
Sidney Wang
A Shot in the Dark
Jacques Clouseau
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Chief Inspector Clouseau
Being There
Chance
The Return of the Pink Panther
Inspector Clouseau
The Ladykillers
Harry, alias 'Mr. Robinson'
Beat the Devil
Billy Dannreuther (voice) (uncredited)
The Party
Hrundi V. Bakshi
Woman Times Seven
Jean
What's New Pussycat?
Dr. Fritz Fassbender
The Man Who Never Was
Voice of Winston Churchill (uncredited)
The Mouse That Roared
Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
The Prisoner of Zenda
Rudolf IV/Rudolf V/Sidney Frewin
The Wrong Box
Doctor Pratt
The Music of Lennon & McCartney
1965
The Wrong Arm of the Law
Pearly Gates
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The March Hare
The Magic Christian
Sir Guy Grand KG, KC, CBE
Two-Way Stretch
Dodger Lane
The World of Henry Orient
Henry Orient
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu / Nayland Smith
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
Harold
There's a Girl in My Soup
Robert Danvers
The Road to Hong Kong
Indian Neurologist (uncredited)
I'm All Right Jack
Fred Kite / Sir John Kennaway
Heavens Above!
The Rev. John Smallwood
The Black Rose
Lu Chung (voice)
Tom Thumb
Antony
After the Fox
Aldo Vanucci/Federico Fabrizi
The Blockhouse
Rouquet
Carol for Another Christmas
Imperial Me
Alice in Wonderland
King of Hearts
Only Two Can Play
John Lewis
The Battle of the Sexes
Mr. Martin
The Millionairess
Dr. Kabir
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
Dick Scratcher
Mr. Topaze
Auguste Topaze
Soft Beds, Hard Battles
Général Latour / Major Robinson / Herr Schroeder / Adolf Hitler / The President / Prince Kyoto
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Dr. Strangelove / Fred Kite (archive footage) (uncredited)
Where Does It Hurt?
Dr. Albert T. Hopfnegal
The Optimists of Nine Elms
Sam
Hoffman
Mr. Hoffman
Never Let Go
Lionel Meadows
The Naked Truth
"Wee" Sonny MacGregor
John and Julie
Police Constable Diamond
A Day at the Beach
Stallholder
Carlton-Browne of the F.O.
Prime Minister Amphibulos
Waltz of the Toreadors
Gen. Leo Fitzjohn
The Bobo
Juan Bautista
The Smallest Show on Earth
Percy Quill
Dearth of a Salesman
Hector Dimwittie
Simon Simon
Man with Two Cars
Up the Creek
CPO Doherty
Penny Points to Paradise
The Major / Arnold Fringe
Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders
Archive
Julie: My Favourite Things
Various
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film
1959
Our Girl Friday
Voice of Parrot
Down Among the Z Men
Major Bloodnok
The Super Secret Service
Sir Walter Smood / Reuben J. Crouch
The Great McGonagall
Queen Victoria
Orders Are Orders
Pvt. Goffin
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
(archive footage)
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
The Villain Antony (archive footage)
El Rey en Londres
1966
Let's Go Crazy
Multiple Roles
To See Such Fun
1977
The Unknown Peter Sellers
2000
The Dock Brief
Wilfred Morgenhall
Wilton's: The Handsomest Hall in Town
G.W. Ross
The Very Best of Peter Sellers
1990
One Pair of Eyes - No, But Seriously
1969
A Burlesque on the Opera "Carmen"
Voice narrator
Insomnia is Good for You
1957
TV Shows (9)
The Dean Martin Show
1 eps
It Takes a Thief
Man in Harbor Records Office · 1 eps
Sykes
Tommy Grando · 2 eps
Whicker's World
1 eps
Theatre Night
The Sultan · 1 eps
One Pair of Eyes
1 eps
The Telegoons
26 eps
Funny Business
(archive footage) · 6 eps
Rire et sourire : Le Splendid
Extrait du film « La Malédiction de la Panthère rose », 1978 · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (33)
The Mike Douglas Show
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
The Muppet Show
Self - Special Guest Star · 1 eps
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self · 1 eps
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (uncredited) · 2 eps
The World of Hammer
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
John Candy: I Like Me
Self - Actor (archive footage)
ABC Stage 67
Self · 1 eps
Tempo
Self · 1 eps
Koyaanisqatsi
Self (archive footage)
The Beatles: Get Back
Self · 1 eps
This Is Tom Jones
Self · 1 eps
Kubrick by Kubrick
Self (archive footage)
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Muppet Treasures
Self
The Big Screen
Self
Mickey's 50
Self
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Self (archive footage)
Directed By Blake Edwards
Self
Peter Sellers: Genius at Work
Self (archive footage)
Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy
Self (Archival Footage)
The Paranormal Peter Sellers
Self (Archive footage)
A Salute to Sir Lew Grade
Self
The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Self (archive footage)
Sellers' Best
Self (archive footage)
Spike Milligan: Love, Light and Peace
Self (archive footage)
Spike
Self
Will the Real Mr Sellers.....?
Self
The Beatles: Get Back...Winter of Discontent
Self (archive footage)
Flip Wilson... Of Course
Self
The Last Goon Show of All
Self
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Self (archive material)
The Peter Sellers Story
Himself
The Peter Sellers Story - As He Filmed It
Himself
